By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
Helphenstine: It takes a whole team
Ocean City Primary School Teacher of the Year: Mikenzie Helphenstine
Subjects/Grade: Third grade. All subject areas. “We do it all in third grade.”
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
“That’s an easy question. I was officiating a field hockey game it was so badly coached. Afterwards I called a woman at Johns Hopkins where I was volunteering and she said if you want to coach field hockey, you have to become a teacher. It became a natural fit. That’s when I got into the master’s program at Johns Hopkins. I was part of Project Site Support and got my master’s while teaching in Baltimore city. I knew I wanted to coach. I was watching girls get coached badly and it upset me. I had such greater role models here at Ocean City, such great people.
How does being a teacher differ than what you imagined it would be like?
“I think that people think teaching is in a classroom by yourself. Really when you become a teacher you actually become such a part of a team. I accept this award (Teacher of the Year) but it’s a little upsetting because my entire team of teachers, not just the third grade, the entire primary school during the pandemic, we’ve all worked together so well. It’s not just one person. I think that you have this vision of the teacher is in charge; really it is a whole group of people and it’s how they work together and what they do that produces this amazing product, especially here at the primary school. This entire group of teachers works together. It’s been amazing, especially this year during the pandemic, watching teachers come together and sharing ideas. You’re not on an island and once you realize that teaching becomes such much more enjoyable. It’s a team sport even though you’re in here by yourself.”
What guiding philosophy do you have in teaching or in life?
“I always tell the kids it’s ‘we over me,’ that’s our saying in the back, our class mantra. And ‘hard work pays off.’ My biggest line, that the kids always laugh at me about, is ‘stop making a mountain out of a molehill. This is all OK. These are not huge problems. If we don’t get done today, there’s time tomorrow.’ I think it’s hard, especially at this young age, that they want to always have everything done perfectly. It’s hard to teach these young kids to take a breath, we’ll get through it. We don’t all have to do it the same way. It’s a lot of fun that these kids can do it other ways and we’ll all come up with the right answer. We all learn so differently. I want them to respect each other for those things as well.
What do you want most for your students?
“I want them to be happy. I want them to want to love learning. I tell them all the time I’m a forever student. I love to take classes and be involved in things. I want them to want to learn and not just to be done. I want them to understand why this works and how that works.”
Do you like to follow how your students are doing?
“My secondary job really gives me the opportunity to see that. I work for the city of Ocean City in some capacity, either helping or volunteering, and living in town I do get to see the kids. I love the fact I get to see them in high school playing sports or in theater or in those different clubs. Having children in the district, I’ve gotten to follow different age groups more closely. I feel that I get to see them in elements outside of the school so I do feel I get to see them. I’m getting invited to a girl’s wedding who graduated high school in 2010. I can’t believe it. I coached her from fifth or sixth grade and all the way through high school. It’s kind of cool.”
If you could change something about the education system, what would it be?
“I think there is a lot of pressure on testing and making sure where all these kids are. I think kids learn at their own pace. Not everybody is at the third-grade level in third grade. They will catch up at some point. They may need a little more time. I wish that maybe the state testing wasn’t every year, that it was every other year or every three years so students didn’t feel that pressure every year. During this pandemic there hasn’t been state testing and as a teacher it has been nice to say ‘look how these kids have grown’ because we’re not continually looking at the curriculum and making sure they’re prepared for the fourth grade. It’s been strangely enjoyable.”
What was it like adapting to teaching during the pandemic and what was the hardest part?
“The hardest part is easy. No one knew what to do. There are no training. You feel bad for administrators as well as directors of curriculum because we got thrown into it so fast teachers had to find out what worked for them. And as the administration found what they thought would work, teachers had already found what worked for them. It didn’t always (align). I think the pandemic has opened our eyes to different venues of education. I actually teach the virtual students as well as kids in the classroom. It’s changed the classroom dynamic because there needs to be interaction between the students (in the classroom) and the students at home. We’ve had to learn that piece. The lack of training in the beginning was hard for teachers but I think that overall the teachers stepped up and figured out a way to make it successful. It might not have been the right way, but we all figured out ways to make it successful and teachers shared a lot of ideas. Phone calls at night of ‘hey, this is working in my classroom, have you tried this?’ I think again it goes back to you’re not on an island. You have to work together. You can’t figure it out for yourself because it’s just too much information.”
What is your favorite or most rewarding aspect of being a teacher?
“When a kid dresses like you one day, or wants to try something that you also enjoy or I have had two children who have gone to Wards (Pastry) to get cinnamon bread because I’ve talked about that being one of my family traditions. I love the fact that if you’re absent for a day and a kid says, ‘I just missed you.’ Those are the rewarding things. It’s not always the academics. It’s the connections you make with them. I love when I get an email from a parent, ‘My child just loves when they’re with you.’ That’s rewarding. That’s it in a nutshell. It makes you smile.”
What is your least favorite?
“My least favorite thing is probably, maybe discipline, I guess. They’re 8 years old. They’re 9 years old. They do 8- and 9-year-old things. Sometimes being an 8-year-old and 9-year-old child can get you in trouble, but at the same time they have to learn there are rules to be followed. I do sometimes feel bad because I know you’re 8 or 9 and you didn’t mean to do it on purpose and need to be punished. You’re going to lose recess or do this. That’s probably my least favorite thing because kids make mistakes. You want them to make mistakes.”
What does it mean to you to be named Teacher of the Year?
“I am humbled. When I nominated I actually wrote down that every teacher in the district deserves to be Teacher of the Year this year because I think every teacher has stepped up in some capacity during the 2020-21 school year because of how strange this school year is. For this year I’m very humbled because I feel like I’m representing just the craziness of the year of 2020-21. Because I have this amazing team of teachers up here in third grade, there are parts of me that I could never have done this without them. I understand it has to go to one person, but at the same time, there are five of us up here who have worked together all year and have made sure that every kid in third grade was ready to go. I’m very humbled by the entire experience.”
What message would you give to other teachers on how they can be the best that they can be?
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Use your colleagues as resources and always have the students’ best interests at heart because that’s what people see. They see when you love your job and you love your kids. These are my kids. I have no problem saying that. Yes, I have two children, but I have many kids involved in my life.”
Background
Hometown: Ocean City
College: Towson University (undergrad), Johns Hopkins and University of Scranton (graduate)
Degrees: Master’s in the art of teaching, master’s in administration, bachelor’s degree in sports management and business. (“I thought I’d come back and work at a rec department.”)
Family: Husband Clint, a captain in the Ocean City Police Department; daughter Andi, a sophomore at Ocean City High School; and son Kyle, seventh grade at Ocean City Intermediate School.
Residence: Ocean City.
How long have you been a teacher: 19 years.
How long in this district: Going into 16th year this fall.
How long at the primary school: Back here for five years. (Previously at intermediate school and as an administrator).
Morris: Develop the relationships
Ocean City Intermediate School Teacher of the Year: Lindsay Morris
Subject/Grades: I have always taught eighth-grade math. Some years I also taught seventh-grade math.
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
“I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can possibly remember. I can remember sitting in classrooms in elementary school thinking about how I would set up the classroom. I always knew I wanted to teach. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to teach until high school when my stats teacher, Mrs. Sonya Cox, told me every day that I needed to be a math teacher. So my senior year she really pushed me toward that and that’s why I went with eighth grade math. She knew that I wanted to teach. She knew that I was going (to college) for education. I’m not sure what she saw; she just pushed me to do it. I don’t know if it was how I was performing in her class or how I was interacting with my peers, but I just remember her every day: ‘You have to be a teacher. You have to get a math degree. If you want to teach you have to be a math teacher.’ It stuck.”
How does being a teacher differ than what you imaged it would be like?
“That’s a tough one. There is more to it. It’s not just teaching math. There’s so much more involved. When you’re studying, it’s ‘how am I going to teach this? How am I going to plan this?’ But it’s more about the connections and the things outside the classroom that affect the students, and building those relationships with them.”
What guiding philosophy do you have in teaching or in life?
“‘It takes a village.’ At home. At school. ‘It takes a village.’”
As a teacher, what do you want most for your students?
“I want them to come into my classroom and feel welcomed. I want them to be encouraged to learn. I want them to feel respected. I want them to be a member of the community above anything else.”
Do you like to follow how your students are doing once they leave the classroom?
“Yes. Being in a small community I see them all over the place. Walking down the boardwalk I love getting shouts of ‘Mrs. Morris.’ And just being involved in the community we run into each other and I try to keep in touch with them.”
If you could change something about the education system, what would it be?
“Less focus on standardized testing.”
What was it like adapting to teaching during the pandemic and what was the hardest part of that?
“The hardest part was there were so many changes. As soon as we thought we figured out one model, we changed. And we had to start all over again. Just navigating those transitions was challenging.”
What is your favorite or the most rewarding aspect of being a teacher?
“It’s the little moments, the small victories. Helping kids overcome challenges and cheering them on one small victory at a time.”
What is the least favorite?
“Standardized testing.” (Laughs.)
What does it mean to you to be named Teacher of the Year?
“I am honored and humbled. This was chosen by my peers. For them to recognize me, especially during this challenging year, was especially humbling.”
What advice would you give to other teachers so they can be the best that they can be?
“Develop relationships with your students first. If they don’t feel comfortable in your classroom, they’re not going to learn. It’s really important to build that rapport before you can expect anything else.”
What do you believe about education in general?
“It is essential. Of course I want them to go as far as they can. I want them to try their best and reach their goals whatever they may be?”
Are there any other subjects you would like to teach?
“I can’t see myself doing anything different at this point. If I could teach just reading and not the writing component of it I would enjoy that as well.”
What changes have you seen in education during your tenure?
“That’s a tough one. My priorities and focus have never changed. I think education in general has, but my philosophy and teaching practice have not. I just show up and keep doing what I’ve been doing.”
What do you like about the intermediate school?
“It’s a big family. My colleagues are amazing. They support each other. It has a family atmosphere and we take care of each other. The people I work with have become my second family. We also have very supportive parents so it’s a really nice environment. We have great kids. It’s just a good place to work.”
Background
Hometown: Upper Township.
College: Rowan University (undergrad), Walden University (graduate)
Degree: Elementary education and math double major, master’s in education with specialization in middle school math.
Family: Husband Billy, Reed, 11, and Maggie, almost 8
Residence: Upper Township
How long have you been a teacher: This is my 16th year.
How long long have you taught in Ocean City: 15 years
How long have you been at this school: The whole time.
O’Neill: Teach like they’re my child
Ocean City High School Teacher of the Year: Lisa O’Neill
Subject/classes: Special education, life skills with multiple-disabled students in ninth to 11 grades.
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
“My grandfather was a teacher and my aunt was a teacher. Education was big in my family growing up. My father graduated high school when he was 12 and he was a practicing doctor when he was 21. It was always distilled in us to get a good education. When I started subbing and doing long-term (substituting) I just loved it.”
How does being a teacher differ from how you imagined it would be?
“I never thought about teaching until I started subbing because I was going to follow in my father’s footsteps. Once I started it, I realized these are somebody’s kids and they need help. They need guidance. I just liked it. I didn’t really think anything about it until I started doing it.”
What guiding philosophy do you have in teaching or in life?
“In teaching, especially in this population, I look at it as, ‘How would I want the teacher to act if my child was in there?’ I put the time into my students the way I would want a teacher to put the time into my own children. I was a mother long before I was a teacher so I kind of thought that is how I’m going to look at it, to judge how I act, how I would want my children to be treated.”
What do you want most for your students?
“For these students, I want them to be as independent as they can be. All we preach in here is independence. I want them to learn enough skills so they can be do things by themselves. It’s different to see how in some areas they’re great, but in other areas that we take for granted, like cutting a straight line. If their motor skills are not there, it’s hard for them to cut a straight line. Or even cooking. To make a sandwich you think that is easy but for some it’s not easy to spread the peanut butter or the jelly. I want them to be an independent and fulfilled as they can.”
Do you like to follow how your students are doing after they leave your classroom?
“I don’t do as much of that as I should. We have them until they are 21. By then they are kind of out there (in the world.) I should keep in touch more. I do here and there, but I should do more.”
If you could change something about the education system, what would it be?
“To make these students more included in what they’re doing. The students in this school are wonderful to my students once they get to know them. They sometimes have a little fear wondering how they should act around them, and when they realize to act the way they are, not to change the way they are, then they really interact. That’s a lot with the school store. When (the other students come in) and see these students working, I later see them in the hallway saying hi to each other. To include them and let them do everything that everyone else does. And here at the high school, they do that.”
What was it like adapting to teaching during the pandemic and what was the hardest part?
“The hardest part is with my students, they need almost one-on-one help. To even give them a packet, that put the pressure all on the parent. Even though I did Zoom and Loom, and I did it with them, they really need someone sitting with them and guiding them. You can’t expect a parent to do that. They don’t have that kind of time. That was the hardest, especially last year when we just kind of went home. I would drive and drop off packets, but I didn’t feel like I was there enough because I wasn’t sitting physically with them. I could do things on Zoom, but it wasn’t the same. How do you teach people who need you right there when you can’t be right there? This year I’ve been so fortunate because since September, I’ve had my students five days a week. (The rest of the student body was on a hybrid schedule of in-person and remote learning.) That is the biggest blessing I could have ever asked for. I could work with them. It’s not that they need help with everything they do, but when they need help you have to be there. You can’t do it through a computer. Four of them were aging out so that was hard. The last four months that they’ll ever be with me they were at home.”
What is your favorite or most rewarding aspect of being a teacher?
“Especially in our population, they don’t grasp everything right away. No matter how long it takes, when you see them able to do something on their own, that’s really rewarding. They are doing a life skill that will help them when they get out of here. To see them accomplish that is great.”
What is the least favorite part?
“Paperwork.” (Laughs.) Especially like lesson plans because in here I can spend three hours on a lesson and it can go right over their head. So it’s hard to say on Monday I will do this, on Tuesday I will do this and on Wednesday I will do this because Monday’s lesson may take me until Wednesday. Or the one I did on Monday that I thought would take Monday and Tuesday, only takes me 20 minutes. It’s the timing.”
What does it mean to you to be named Teacher of the Year?
“I was shocked. My daughter-in-law called me on the phone and said, ‘Do you have something to tell us?’ I thought, ‘Did someone tell me they were pregnant and I forgot?’ So I said, ‘No. What are you talking about?’ She told me to look at my email. When I looked at my email, that’s where it said it. I think people look in here and see three or four or five kids and think it’s easy so I never thought I was in that category with the teachers who have a hundred kids. Even though my kids may take more time, I didn’t lump myself with those teachers. Like I said, we don’t see progress in a week or two weeks. It may take a year for us to see anything. To get any type of recognition it means maybe I am doing the right thing. I was very happy, of course, and shocked.”
Background
Hometown: Pennwynne, Pa.
Residence: Ocean City
College: St. Joseph’s University
Degree: Psychology
Family: Husband James (in the U.S. Coast Guard for 30 years), sons Joe and twins James and Michael, daughter Kristen. (Joe is a teacher in Egg Harbor Township High School School, his wife teaches at Reeds Road School; James is a sixth-grade teacher in Upper Township, his wife is a teacher at Ocean City Intermediate School; his twin, Michael, is a lawyer in the Cherry Hill area and Kristen is in the Coast Guard.
How long have you been a teacher: She has been in education going on 21-22 years, but was a substitute teacher for the first 16 years while her husband was stationed in South Carolina. (They had been living in Hawaii where he was stationed and then in South Carolina, but were advised the schools were bad so they decided to have her bring the four kids to Ocean City, where their family has had a summer home since 1957, and he went back and forth for a number of years until he retired.
How long in this district? She worked as a substitute for 16 years because it coincided with her children’s schedule, working 160 out of 180 days a year. After her husband retired in 2008, she got her certification and began working full-time as a teacher in 2013.
How long at the high school: Subbed at all the schools, full-time only at the high school.